Comebacks
by M. Scott Eiland
Summary: In an alternate version of Choices, Faith taunts Willow over her night with Xander and comes to regret it. . .


Comebacks  
  
Summary: An alternate version of the confrontation between Faith and Willow in "Choices," where Faith comes up with a different approach for taunting Willow and comes to regret it. . .  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, as they remain the property of their owners/creators. . .I'm just giving Faith and Willow the chance to snarl at each other a little more.  
  
Rating: PG-13, for language and themes.  
  
Time Frame: Faith and Willow's confrontation during "Choices."  
  
Archiving: Please do, but e-mail me at eilandesq@aol.com because I'm interested in where stuff I write ends up, and I'll want to see what else you've got there.  
  
COMEBACKS  
  
  
Faith hit me, hard, and I fell to the floor. Somewhat to my surprise, I recovered rather quickly. . .between evil Watchers, even more evil Dopplegangers, and really really evil Slayers, I was in danger of joining Giles in the Head Trauma of the Month Club; fortunately, I apparently have a head like a rock. . .ironic, if you think about it.  
  
Faith stood over me, glaring in fury over my riff about how worthless she was. She sneered, "You hurt me, I hurt you. I'm just a little more efficient about it."  
  
I climbed to my feet, smiling slightly at the fact that she had admitted I had gotten to her and replied, "Aw, and I just thought you didn't have a comeback." I saw her eyes narrow and she began to reach for the knife at her belt. * Oh, oh. . .I've pushed her too far this time. * Abruptly, she stopped and smiled evilly, and I wondered what in the world she could be smiling at.  
  
Faith pulled out her knife and began toying with it, smiling as she looked at me and commented, "It's not as if you ever liked me, Willow, even when the others accepted me for a while. . .you sensed that I was going to go somewhere you never could. . ." She grinned and taunted, "So how did you feel when you found out I did Xander?"  
  
* Bitch * I gave her a cold stare, but restrained myself from any further reaction. . .I wasn't going to give her what she wanted. Noticing my silence, Faith pressed on, sensing victory: "You know, I know how you've wanted him for years. . .how he was totally clueless about how you felt. . .then when you two got caught playing lustbunnies at the Factory, he ran right back to that shallow twit Cordelia." She laughed, and the sound was evil and mocking. "It was just another lay for me, you know. He was there, and I was horny. . .he was pretty good, though, I'll give him that. . .I might have given him another one, if he had stayed conscious and if Angel hadn't come in to his rescue." She walked up to me and stared into my eyes from about six inches away, looking to twist the knife: "It must just kill you that I got there first."  
  
Faith's unknowing echoing of Angelus' taunt to Xander as he stood guard over Buffy at the hospital was the last straw. I began giggling, then started laughing openly as the Slayer standing next to me looked puzzled, then angry. She shoved me hard against a wall, but I kept my feet and continued laughing. Faith glared at me and snapped, "So what's the big joke, Nerd Girl?"  
  
Her intended insult missed its mark, and I couldn't resist any longer. * Forgive me, Xander, but it's just too easy. * I looked back at Faith with contempt in my eyes and shook my head. "My God, Faith, do you know anything about Xander's taste in women? Right after we met Buffy, he went after a substitute teacher who was really a bug with a taste for virgins!" She snickered at this. . .she still wasn't getting it, and I continued, "His next great romance was with some Incan mummy who decided he was her One True Love. . .now there was a love affair with a future." Faith's face fell a little, but I was relentless. "Oh, and do I need to go into detail about Cordelia? The Queen Bitch of Sunnydale High decides to make Xander her utility closet buddy. . .he's hated her since we were five, and he couldn't keep his hands off her!" I speared Faith with my gaze. . .I could see the fury in her eyes as I continued, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "And then came you. . .a few minutes of tawdry sex, and that was it. . .oh, I forgot, he was so obsessed with you that he wouldn't sleep with you again even after you threw yourself at him. . .yeah, he had it bad for you, didn't he?" I snickered at her outrage, then remembered something I had noticed about a certain brunette who had a few classes with Xander. "Oh, but don't worry about Xander. . .I'm betting that his date to the prom will be Anya. . .yeah, that's right, the former demon who hates him!" I walked over to Faith until I was glaring at her from as close as she had just been to me, then concluded with a flourish: "Faith, Xander is the most loyal friend I've ever had, and he would have been that to you if you'd let him. But his taste in women is the worst on the planet, and you're the best possible proof of that!"  
  
I saw her eyes flare with fury, and I only had a moment to reflect on the folly of pushing her too far before she struck me again and knocked me flat to the floor. I saw her raising the knife and was making my peace with the world when a calm voice intruded: "Girls, I hope I don't have to separate you two."  
  
We both looked over and saw the Mayor calmly walking over to his desk, still speaking as he sat down, "Faith, you can play with your new toy later. Something's come up."  
  
Faith stared down at me, hate glistening in her eyes. I was starting to wonder if she'd obey her new lord and master when the Mayor spoke again, this time with a tone of iron covered by velvet: "Faith. . .You know I don't like repeating myself."  
  
Faith's eyes flared one last time, then faded as she walked over to the Mayor. I got up and looked at the evil pair as he continued with a smile, "I just received a heck of an interesting phone call." As he spoke, my feelings were rather ambivalent: I was certainly going to be happy to get out of here, but I worried about what the Mayor would be able to do with the box. . .still, I definitely wanted some distance between me and Faith for, oh, the rest of our lives. I managed to hide my distress and smiled coldly at Faith as he made plans for the exchange. As we left for the meeting, I had the final triumph as she refused to meet my gaze. . .there would be no more comebacks.  
  
  
As always, comments are welcomed and desired  
  
  



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